


Underneath The Same Sun

by mylongestoof



Series: Things Dr. Bright is not allowed to do at The Magnus Institute [3]
Category: SCP Foundation, The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Angst, Canon Asexual Character(s), Canon-Typical The Beholding Content (The Magnus Archives), Canon-Typical The Web Content (The Magnus Archives), Child Death, F/F, F/M, For everyone except Tim and Sasha, I am on a weird thought process with this one, Identity Issues, It’s not a slow burn anymore, M/M, Multi, No Canon-Typical Worms (The Magnus Archives), Sasha James Lives, The Foundation is fear soup of The Eye and The Web, They’re a bisexual power couple, This Might Get Very Weird, Tim Stoker Lives (The Magnus Archives), accidental compulsion
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2020-10-28
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:48:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27182017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mylongestoof/pseuds/mylongestoof
Summary: From Jon’s perspective: Martin is either missing or dead, Jane Prentiss has been thoroughly dealt with, and now the police are breathing down his neck for Gertrude’s murder.From Martin’s perspective: He’s very much alive and currently trying to get out of America and back to the Institute, with the help of a few friends. Which is a bit difficult, as he is trapped in an amulet (that is also his conscious being? It’s weird).Honestly, Clef and Bright are just along for the ride, at this point.
Relationships: Dr. Alto Clef/Dr. Benjamin Kondraki, Georgie Barker/Melanie King, Martin Blackwood & Dr. Alto Clef, Martin Blackwood/Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Sasha James/Tim Stoker
Series: Things Dr. Bright is not allowed to do at The Magnus Institute [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1953001
Comments: 8
Kudos: 28





	1. Bright Stars Burning Holes Right Through The Dark

**Author's Note:**

> The title is from Buttercup by Jack Stauber. The title of the chapter is from Sleepyhead by Passion Pit. (You can tell I was listening to my Spotify playlist while posting this.)

_This is a let down,_ Clef thinks as he retrieves SCP-963-3, otherwise known as “Martin Blackwood”. Clef silently thanked the Eye (sarcastically, of course) for feeding him that information, and resumed his strenuous task of retrieving the amulet with tongs.

“Can’t let it touch you.” Clef says to himself, as he slowly pulls it out of the lockbox it has been kept in for the past few months. _Honestly_ , Clef thinks, _they didn’t even try with this one._ And it was true. They didn’t try to keep this amulet under any special containment. At most, they just threw it in a box and wiped their hands, a day's work done.

Not for Clef. No, if this “Martin” was anything like Bright, then Clef needed to do something. If he wasn’t, then Clef still needed to do something. Strange thing is, he didn’t quite know why he felt like he needed to do something.

_It’s quite beautiful,_ Clef thinks, as he runs across the Site. The way it shines in the harsh lighting...if Clef could paint, he’d paint that. Whoever made this was a skilled jeweler. Or they just bought this from some random store. Whatever the case, Clef thought it was nice.

_Isn’t it lovely that it’s holding a person’s consciousness? All tucked away, only to be alive when called upon._

Or so Clef thought. He wasn’t friends with Bright at all, so who knew if “Martin” could experience time in that thing.

_Whatever the case, it’s still an interesting thought. Rather morbid, too, I suppose. If the world were to end, or if every human were to forget him, would he still be alive? His thoughts wouldn’t continue inside the amulet, in this hypothetical situation. But would he be dead, truly?_

Clef didn’t know. Further testing would be required, and Clef knew it would be impossible to provide further testing at the moment.

Clef ran into the room he had hidden his stowaway in, and looked upon the stowaway with such a look that scared even Clef himself.

The stowaway was bound by the hands and feet, and gagged with a sock. Clef needed him to be kept still and quiet.

“Oh, hush,” Clef said, when the stowaway began to cry, “Listen, I’m about to let you go. How does that sound? You’ll be...I don’t know, running out of this place, shooting everyone? That’s my idea of paradise.”

Clef slowly lifted the amulet, and put it on him. And suddenly, the stowaway became “Martin Blackwood”. Clef took the sock out.

“Who are you?” Martin asked, as soon as Clef tossed the sock.

“Read the name tag.” Clef said, sitting down in front of him.

“You don’t...you don’t _have_ one.” Martin argued.

Clef laughed out loud, “I know, it’s a joke. My name is Dr. Alto Clef, and I’m here to see if you’re really worth saving.”

Martin stared at him, suspicious of Clef, “It’s funny. After being trapped here for who knows how long, I can’t say I believe you.”

“You’re funny, I'll give you that. But for real, that’s what I’m doing. So...give me your life story or something. Wait, no, don’t do that, that’s boring. Just...tell me why I should save you.”

Martin stared at him further, before he shook his head. Clef had no idea what was going on in his brain, “You know, you have no reason to save me, Dr. Clef. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking-”

“So you can tell that time passes when you’re in the amulet?”

“-and I’ve realized that...what?” Martin adjusted himself, “O...Okay, I...well, sort of.”

Clef grinned, “Tell me more!”

Martin sighed, “It’s hard to explain. I know I’m alive and I’m this thing, but I can’t tell where I am or how long I’ve been there.”

Clef made a mental note to write this down on his file, “Do you see anything? Anything at all?”

Martin chuckled, “You can’t see anything if you have no eyes.”

_Very interesting,_ Clef thinks.

“How long do you think you’ve been in there?” Clef asks.

“Years?” Martin offers, his shoulders sagging as he does so, “I don’t think anyone is coming for me. Certainly not Jon, obviously, but not even Tim or Sasha.”

Clef felt the smallest amount of guilt and pity for Martin. Clef couldn’t imagine being completely forgotten, especially while he was still alive.

“You’ve been here for three months.” Clef tells Martin, “And...your people could be looking for you. They probably are, because _Bright_ hasn’t returned yet. It’s just that the Foundation is shady, and it rarely gives out information. They probably don’t even know you’re here.”

“And where is ‘here’, exactly?” Martin asks.

“America.” Clef offers. Martin groans, and Clef rolls on his back in a fit of laughter.

“It’s funny!” Clef says, once he’s pulled himself together, “It really is. You know, you can thank Dr. Bright for all of this. The O5, basically the big bosses, apparently sent him out in the field to get you.”

“And you’re telling me this, because…”

Clef thinks about his answer. He thinks about what he wants to do, and why he technically stole company property. Because “Martin Blackwood” _was_ company property.

Even if it wasn’t right.

“I think I’m going to help you bust out. It’s not exactly hard, you know. All I have to do is take that and go, but...getting to London would be very difficult.”

“I can handle that, probably.” Martin says, “Just get me out, and I’ll...I don’t know, possess someone else. Someone with a passport. And money.”

Clef smiled, “An excellent idea!” Then he frowned, “Do you know what happens to the people you inhabit, Martin?”

Martin looks down at himself, and pulls at his shirt, “No? Is it bad?”

Clef clicks his tongue, “Yeah, it’s bad. They die. They’re dead. Gone.”

Martin throws his hands up, “Well, now I don’t want to do that! Christ, I’ve been killing people this whole time?”

“If it helps, they were on death row. They were going to die, anyway.” Clef offers.

Martin glares at him, “It doesn’t help. At all.” He looks down at the amulet, laying on his chest. It shines underneath the light, and Clef thinks it’s quite beautiful.

“Well, we figure it out, then. I’ll risk my life for you, and…” Clef looks down at the floor, “Wow, I’m probably going to get terminated for this. Who cares, honestly.”

Martin looks at him strangely, but doesn’t say anything. Clef takes that as a sign to get going.

“Right. I’m going to take _that_ off now, and we’ll be on our way.” He reaches over to grab it, but pauses, only to say, “See you on the other side, then.”

Clef took the amulet off, and the life of Martin Blackwood faded before his very eyes. It was a normal sight accompanied by a strange feeling. After all, he had seen Bright “die” many times. Now, it just felt depressing.

_Whatever,_ Clef thinks, as he walks out of the room. He had to get far away from this place, and he had an idea of who could help him. Unfortunately, they hadn’t spoken in a few years, and Clef was almost one hundred percent sure that Kondraki would try to murder him. That, or he’d greet him like an old friend.


	2. I Can See It In Their Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clef and Kondraki reunite and get Martin a body!  
> Meanwhile, Bright receives a call and a few fists in his face (curtesy of Tim).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for Hospitals, mentions of car crashes, tumors, and fights.  
> Title of the chapter is from Animal Skin by Bryan Dunn.

Benjamin Kondraki was “chilling”. He had been “chilling” for a better part of a year, sitting in his two bedroom house, and pretending that he was happy.

Benjamin Kondraki was _not_ depressed. He was just lonely, and perhaps, he missed his son.

Gardening helped. He looked like a senile old man when he went out to water his petunias and his tomato plants, but that was a small price to pay for his garden.

In fact, Benjamin Kondraki was out, weeding his plants, when there was a shadow cast above him. A familiar shadow in a familiar shape.

“Clef.” Kondraki said, looking up at him.

Clef grinned, “Benjamin. Listen, do you have a minute? Also, nice flowers. What are they, roses or something?”

“Petunias.” Kondraki answers, before standing up and putting his hands on his hips, “What are you doing here, Clef? Shouldn’t you be at the Foundation?”

Clef laughed loudly, and Kondraki wished he had ear plugs.

“That’s funny, Benjamin. Really funny.” Clef pulled out a plastic Target bag and handed it to Kondraki, “Try not to touch it, you’ll die.”

Kondraki opened it up, and saw an amulet with three sapphires adorned on it. Immediately, he remembered Bright.

“What is this?” Kondraki asked, looking back up at Clef.

“It’s not a what, Benjamin!” Clef exclaimed, “It’s a who!”

Kondraki rolled his eyes, “Fine. _Who_ is it, then?”

“His name is Martin Blackwood! And-”

Kondraki held his hand up, “Listen, Clef, I’m not going to help you with whatever this is. I’m fine here! I’m peaceful and I’m doing great! I don’t need you bringing your problems and-and whatever Martin Blackwood _is_ to ruin it.”

Clef frowned, “I’ll throw out some real hard hitting shit, Benjamin. I need you to help me.”

Kondraki laughed, “You don’t need me. You want me.”

Clef’s frown deepened, and he looked at the bag, “You know, Martin is as old as your son. Probably younger. I can’t tell how old Draven is these days. Martin’s, what, twenty-nine? Lived in England, never had a father, or a stable job. Not until he worked at the Magnus Institute of London.”

Kondraki gripped the bag, “Clef, stop-”

“No, Benjamin. I won’t.” Clef said, “I am risking my life to get him out. Martin is innocent as innocent can be, I am _almost_ certain. He doesn’t deserve to be locked up in a box forever, only to be brought back for questioning every once in a while. Not when people are looking for him.” Clef sighed, “And people _are_ looking for him. The Archivist is, I Know it. Bright is with him as well, inhabiting his old body. It’s honestly a bit fucked up.”

Kondraki looked down at the amulet again, “You’re going to get terminated, Clef. This is such a stupid idea!”

Clef shrugged, “I feel like I have to do something.”

Kondraki sighed and handed the bag back to him, “Fine, I’ll help.”

Clef smiled.

“But, you have to let me help you all the way!” Kondraki crossed his arms, “That means that when I offer something that may be of use, you listen. And we both go to London, together. Capiche?”

Kondraki didn’t miss the way Clef wrinkled his nose when he pouted. It was a shame, he thinks, that he noticed it. Benjamin Kondraki has never been the type to be so foolhardy, nor had he been one to fall so fast.

But perhaps Kondraki hadn’t let go of all the feelings he had a long time ago. The last time he saw Clef, there had been screaming from both of them. Now, things seemed...peaceful, even though Clef was facing certain death, certain termination.

“Yeah, alright.” Clef says, “I don’t suppose there’s a body for him, somewhere? He’s kind of got a ‘no killing’ complex. And assume the thirty day rule applies to him.”

“Have they done enough testing?” Kondraki asked.

Clef snorted, “Barely. They’ve killed three D-Class to take three interviews with him only to confirm who he was and how he got tied to the thing. So, all in all, he’s been in three bodies for about two hours in the past three months.”

Kondraki counted that out on his fingers, before asking, “Well, how’d he get tied to it?”

There it was: the hesitation. Clef knew something that he wasn’t keen on sharing.

“I still have level four clearance. I can check his file.” Kondraki says.

“It hasn't been updated. I…may have killed the scientist researching him.”

Murder. Clef had murdered someone. There was a time when they had wanted to murder each other, when they were younger. Of course, they had moved past that. Kondraki liked to think he had moved past murder all together. Apparently, Clef had not.

“Don’t look so surprised, Benjamin.”

And the first name usage was pissing him off as well.

“I’m sorry, Clef. Here I was, thinking that you might have turned a new leaf. After all, killing some innocent researcher-”

“He was _not_ innocent!” Clef argued, waving his hands, and therefore the bag, in the air.

“He was doing his job, Clef! He had no say in what he could and couldn’t do!” Kondraki insisted.

Clef rolled his eyes, “Okay, now it sounds like you’re _not_ going to help me.”

Kondraki groaned and began to walk back to his house, “I still am! I’m just...upset. We can go to the nearest hospital and find some poor brain dead person. He wouldn’t mind, right?”

Clef followed, “If they’re already dead, then there should be no problems. Good thing you’re sticking around, Konny. You’re going to like him. He didn’t even like killing D-Class. He said it was wrong.”

Kondraki grabbed his jacket off of the table and slipped it on, “We’re going to have to talk about Martin, and your relationship with him.”

Clef cringed, “Ugh, yeah, it’s not like-”

Kondraki mentally hit himself in the head with a bat several times, “No, not like that. You know the Web could have something to do with this. It could make you feel a connection to him when you normally wouldn’t, and I wonder if…”

Clef just glared at him. Of course he’d be angry that Kondraki suggested that.

“When you meet him, you’ll understand.” Clef said, “Let’s just...let’s go.”

There were three brain dead people in the ICU. Two of them were severely wounded (car crash), and one of them was a fifteen year old child who had recently died from a brain tumor, one that had gone undiagnosed.

“Okay, we’re going to either find another hospital or kidnap a young child.” Kondraki says.

Clef shrugs, “I’m down for kidnapping. I mean, I haven’t compelled anyone in a while. I could brush off my skills, and-”

Kondraki stopped him, “Clef, how far are you willing to go for this? This could potentially put you on Avatar status, and I thought you didn’t want that to happen.”

Kondraki and Clef spoke about that a lot, especially when they had been together. It was one of Clef’s fears, actually, to be a powerful being devoid of emotion, running on the fear of others. Was he willing to make that true for this?

“You really have so little faith in me, Konny, I’m disappointed.”

Kondraki glared at him.

“As I said, brushing off my skills.” Clef stretches his arms and walks into the room.

The two parents were upset, obviously. They had just lost their daughter. Kondraki watched as Clef told them something. He couldn’t hear what he said, but he watched as their faces went slack, before they smiled and nodded.

Then Clef put the amulet on her, and Martin opened his eyes.

He couldn’t speak because of the respirator, but the parents were thrilled. They immediately left the room, and went to get a nurse.

“Alright, Konny, come in here. We’ve got a couple of minutes before the nurse believes them.”

Kondraki walked into the room and stood at the side of the bed.

“Right. Before you freak out, she was already brain dead. This is Benjamin Kondraki, and we’re going to get you back to the Magnus Institute completely legally.”

“Using what?” Kondraki asked, “This poor girl’s passports?”

Clef nodded, “Morally, this is terrible! But we are running from the Foundation, if you have forgotten.”

“What did you say to them?” Kondraki asked, folding his arms.

“I just said that their daughter would be fine, if they let me put the amulet on, as well as take her to London for a quick second.”

Martin raised his eyebrows, and tried to take the respirator out.

Clef shook his head, “Don’t do that, Martin. You’ll be out in a few hours, and we’ll be on a flight to London by tomorrow, okay?”

Martin visibly relaxed, and Kondraki had to admit, he could see where Clef was coming from. Still, it could be the Web’s doing.

The nurse came in, and gasped when she saw Martin, “Oh...oh my, who are-”

 _“Her uncles.”_ Clef says, _“You will release her today.”_

The nurse stood there, still and silent, before she moved to take the respirator out. When she did so, Martin immediately threw up. The girl’s parents stood at his side as he did so, and hugged him as soon as they could.

“Oh...hi?” Martin said, awkwardly hugging them back.

“The passport.” Clef mentioned, “It’s quite urgent, actually.”

The mother nodded, and kissed Martin’s cheek, “Honey, we’re going to help you, alright?”

They both left the room to get the passport, and Martin rubbed his cheek, looking down at his lap.

Kondraki could tell he wasn’t liking the situation.

“We had to touch base.” Clef said, “You need to call your friends. I don’t think they’ll believe me when I say I know you.”

“Will they believe me?” Martin asks, “I sound like a fifteen year old girl. Jon...Jon’s a sceptic, he’ll…”

Kondraki pulled his phone out and pushed it into Martin’s hands, “Call them, Martin. If they don’t believe you, then they’ll look stupid when we show up.”

Martin chuckled, and he called The Magnus Institute.

* * *

Bright hated working as an Archival Assistant. It was boring and he wished he could go back to Site-17, but unfortunately, he had to prove that Martin Blackwood was dead so his kidnappers could get off of his back.

Tim sat across from him, always watching, waiting for him to strike. He heard him whispering to Sasha all the time, waiting for Bright to betray them. Bright wasn’t going to, honestly, he was just tired of being in England.

The phone rang by his desk, and Tim looked at him with such hate. He probably thought that he was staging a coup. Funny.

“What, do you want me to record it?” Bright asked, sticking his tongue out.

“Yes!” Jon yelled, “Record all phone calls, Bright! Excellent idea!”

Bright groaned, and picked up the phone and pressed the record button.

“Hello, this is Martin Blackwood, archival assistant in the Magnus Archives, and you’re being recorded!”

_“...what?”_

It was a young American girl. Bright wasn’t sure why she was calling. Perhaps she got the wrong number.

“You’re calling for a statement, correct?”

_“How are you...I’m Martin Blackwood! Who is this?”_

Bright nearly dropped the phone.

“I...okay, you don’t...what?”

 _“Who are you?”_ The girl began to cry, _“You’re the one who stole my body and sent me back to this-this amulet! You’re the Bright guy, aren’t you?! Give the phone to Jon! Or-Or Sasha!”_

Tim heard the commotion and smiled, “Wow, she must really hate you.”

Bright glared at Tim, and decided that now was the perfect moment to fuck with him.

“Well, Mr. Blackwood, I’m sorry for the inconvenience! I shall transfer your call to Jon!” 

Tim slammed his pencil down and tackled Bright, right before he could transfer the call.

Sasha came out from her desk area to see Tim beating the everloving hell out of Bright. Jon came out around the same time to see Sasha throwing Tim across the room.

“What is going on?!” Jon yelled.

Bright stood up, and pointed to the phone, “I found Martin.”

“Like hell you did!” Tim yelled, “You’re fucking with us! You fucking killed him!”

“The call is still going, he can probably hear you all.” Bright said.

Sasha pushed Bright out of the way, and picked up the phone.

“Martin?” She asks, her voice timid.

Everyone is silent, and Sasha lets out a gasp.

“Oh...okay, thank goodness you’re alive. We’ve been looking for you. Why do you sound like that?”

Bright wondered the same thing. Why did he sound like that? And did he say ‘amulet’ earlier?

“Oh, fuck.” Bright cursed, realizing what had happened.

“Like Bright?” Sasha asked. Jon glared at Bright, and she continued, “Who are you with right now?” Finally, she was asking decent questions.

“Who’s Clef?”

_Shit._

“Okay, so Alto Clef and...Benjamin Kondraki?” Sasha grabbed a pen and paper and began to write that down.

“They’re back together now?” Bright asked.

Sasha stared at him, before asking, “Does Bright know them?”

Whatever Martin says, she writes down. 

Tim walks over to Sasha, and she stops, “Martin, can you call us back? We have something to deal with.”

Martin presumably answers, and she hangs up. Sasha turns to Tim and he slouches under her gaze, guilty.

“I’m sorry, Sasha, I-”

“You hit Martin.” Sasha said, “You were hurting Bright, but that is not his body.”

Jon steps in, “Sasha, do you know what happened to Martin?”

She turns to Jon and nods, “I do. It appears that, like Bright, he is an anomalous object as well. In fact, he’s the exact same type of anomalous object as Bright. An amulet. I think we should investigate this, since Martin’s coming back now.”

Bright frowns, “Then you’ll let me go home?”

Jon stares at him, and sighs, “Sure. We’ll let you go home. Now...where would be the first place to start?”

Sasha takes a deep breath, as if she knows what she’s about to say is a rather difficult thing to do, “With his mother.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I’d like some character development for Bright please. It’s going to take a while? Well, I guess I’ll have to wait then.
> 
> On a serious note: Hello! Thanks for reading. The whole point of this is going to be about finding out how Martin got tied to the amulet as well as trying to escape the Foundation (as well as second/third season TMA things). I should probably include that in the description for the fic but I’m too lazy to change it.


	3. I Have Stood Knee Deep in Mud and Bone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Archives gang goes to visit Ms. Blackwood. They get a story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Title is from A Machine for Pigs (I’ve been listening to Mandus and feeling edgy). Warnings for child death, illness, and accidental compulsion.

_It’ll be like old times,_ Sasha had said. Jon didn’t know what “old times” were exactly, since old times had been Tim, Sasha, and Jon at Institute parties, unwilling to talk to anyone else. Not exactly the same as interrogating Martin Blackwood’s mother, but according to Sasha, close enough.

They were listening to ABBA in Sasha’s car on the way to the home. Tim and Sasha were in the front seats, singing along and having a jolly time! Jon wasn’t. Jon was absolutely not, because he felt like they were being too happy for something that was not going to be happy.

Jon wondered what Martin was doing. Sasha had talked to him yesterday for an hour, calming him down and wishing him a happy flight. They had spoken about what had gone on in the Archives since Martin had gone. Jon wondered if Martin felt better about Prentiss being dead. Jon wondered what he thought about Gertrude, and the police.

Jon wondered a lot about him, about Martin. The last time he had seen him, truly, he had given him tea. Jon had snapped at him for no reason, and Martin had responded in kindness, like usual.

Bright was a stark contrast to Martin. He was sharp when Martin was soft. He was mean when Martin was kind.

Jon remembered what Bright had told him during his statement. Martin liked Jon. Martin wrote poems about Jon.

Jon felt guilt about a lot of things. He wanted to turn back time and welcome Martin in. He wanted to accept his tea with similar kindness, he wanted to go out for Friday drinks with him. He wanted to hold his hand sometimes.

Jon wasn’t an idiot, despite popular belief. Sure, he was dense sometimes, but he wasn’t an idiot. His feelings weren’t clear oftentimes, but now, they seemed as clear as ever. Jon liked Martin, too, and it frustrated him to think about how he had treated him.

“What are you scowling about, Jon?” Tim asked.

Scowling? Jon assessed his face, and realized that he _was_ scowling.

“I’m thinking about Martin.” Jon answered. No point in keeping a secret, especially one from Tim and Sasha.

They looked at each other, and they paused ABBA. That’s when Jon realizes that he must have said something wrong.

“When he comes back,” Tim says, “You cannot be rude to him.”

Sasha nods, “You’re our friend, Jon. We care about you. You have to be nice, even when he messes up.”

Jon scowls, “I know that. I wasn’t thinking about terrorizing him. I was thinking about…” Jon can tell he’s blushing because Tim and Sasha begin to grin, “...other things? Stop that!”

Tim turns around, as he is in the passenger seat, “Ah! Boss man has a crush! On someone who has been missing for months and who’s consciousness is tied to an amulet and may very well be immortal!” Tim pauses, “Wow, I’ve never given that much thought to that. Damn…”

Jon rolls his eyes, “Well, I have, luckily for you. And I suppose you’re...right.”

“Jonathan Sims, everybody!” Sasha cheers, “I’d never imagine that he’d talk to _us_ about having feelings for Martin. Usually it’s the other way around-” Sasha stops herself and grips the steering wheel.

“You didn’t hear that.” Tim said, before turning to Sasha, “He didn’t hear it!”

“Bright already told me, remember.” Jon said, “He said he found Martin’s poems.”

“Still,” Sasha said, “It wasn’t my place. Damn, Martin’s going to be upset with me, now.”

Tim put a hand on her arm, “Hey, no he isn’t! When has Martin been upset with anybody.”

“Bright.” Sasha answered, “Elias. That Melanie lady when she came in and yelled at Jon.” Jon cringed at the memory.

“You are none of those people.” Tim said kindly.

Sasha exhaled, “Right. I just...we miss him. I’m excited for him to come back. I’m also...I’m worried he’s going to be different. He wouldn’t tell me about what went on there.”

“Sash, you know it’ll take time for him to open up. I mean, he literally died and got his soul sent to a piece of jewelry. He’s going to be different.”

He’s been different, Jon wanted to say. He’s been different since Prentiss. Perhaps he was the only one who noticed, though. Martin was clever at hiding things from people. After all, it took Bright to really make all of them notice that something was up.

“We’re here.” Sasha said, as she pulled into the parking lot. Jon was the first one out, ready with his tape recorder. 

“Okay, you two,” Sasha said, “We go in there, interview Ms. Blackwood, and we get out. From what Bright has told me, since I’m the only one who can speak to him, we know that she isn’t exactly the easiest to deal with.”

“For lack of a better word.” Tim points out.

“I have some better words.” Sasha retorts, “But I don’t want to badmouth someone I haven’t met yet.”

“So afterwards, then?” Jon asked.

Tim snorts, and Sasha rolls her eyes. Sasha was the polite one, despite being the most devious, out of the three of them. Jon thinks that she’ll get answers out of Ms. Blackwood. Better than any stuck up Foundation would.

The home is cold and smells of “lemony fresh” cleaner. There are a few nurses inside, taking their break. When the group passes, Jon can hear their whispering.

_“Oh, who are they? I don’t think we had a performance group scheduled for a while?”_ Said the nurse, pretending to read a book.

_“No, they’re here for Blackwood. Something about her son, I think. Janice told me about it yesterday when they called. Apparently, something happened to him. He went missing or something.”_ Said the nurse with her hair in a bun. Her name was Alana.

_“Poor man. He was always so nice. Guess that means we’ll have to throw Blackwood out soon.”_

_“Good riddance, I say.”_

Jon shook his head, and Tim tapped the desk with his nails. It was very annoying, but Jon did _not_ snap at him.

“You’re here for your appointment with Ms. Blackwood?” The woman at the counter asked. Jon presumed that she was Janice.

“Yes ma’am!” Tim says, cheerfully. Janice appreciates this, and does her work a bit faster. When she finished, she told them, “Ms. Blackwood is in room twelve. She can be a bit…cranky, so fair warning.” 

“Thank you.” Sasha said, before they began to walk down the hall.

“Right, so Jon does his statement thing, we ask questions, and then we get out of this place?” Tim asks, quickly. He’s scared.

“We went over this already.” Jon reminded him, trying to provide him comfort in some way.

“I know, I know. This place just…” Tim pauses and looks around, “It creeps me out. I feel like something’s watching me.”

“Me too.” Sasha says, “We should ask Bright about it when we get back.”

“Or stop by a morgue or something. Does the amulet work on dead bodies?”

“I don’t think so.” Jon says. They stop in front of room twelve, and Jon can practically hear Tim and Sasha look at each other.

Jon opens the door.

Ms. Blackwood is sitting in a wheelchair, near her window. Jon notices that Sasha’s car is in perfect view.

“Ms. Blackwood, we are from the Magnus Institute, and we have a few questions.” Jon walks forward, and he gets...a feeling. He doesn’t know how to describe it. It feels like a wall of string, of web, trying to stop him from moving forward.

That is something he doesn’t like, _at all._

“Ask away, Archivist.” She says, coldly.

Sasha and Tim scoot closer to each other. This room is colder than the others.

“Do you know the current whereabouts of Martin Blackwood?”

Trick question. Jon knew that he was somewhere in the Eastern Coast, sitting in an airport with Clef and Kondraki.

Ms. Blackwood shakes her head, “He’s your employee, _Jon._ Shouldn’t you know?”

“So Martin talks about me?” Jon asks, “What does he say? Did he ever tell you about what goes on in the Institute?”

She sneers, “He didn’t have to tell me. I’ve known what he was since he was a boy, and you’ve let it fester in him and grow.”

Tim wants to speak. He wants to argue with her, but Jon holds his hand out and commands him to stay behind.

“I don’t mean that, Ms. Blackwood. Do you know the nature of the Institute? Do you...remember being visited by strange people?”

She finally turns away from the window to glare at him, “I was visited by strange people, Archivist, but…” She pauses, either from weakness or mulling her thoughts over, “I called them myself. My son is dead. That Martin Blackwood you see now is an imposter.” She turns back to the window.

“You mistake me. We know Dr. Bright isn’t Martin. I’m talking about the amulet. _What happened with the amulet?_ ” Jon asks, a tinge of static intertwined with his voice. Sasha steps back, her hand on the door handle.

Ms. Blackwood’s face contorts into a horrified expression, before she finally settles into a saddened frown, tears threatening to spill.

“My husband...he found the amulet for me. It was going to help me. But...on the way back, there was an accident. My husband killed someone in his rush to get to me. A young child, barely old enough to speak, he said. He used the amulet, completely misunderstanding how it worked, and the child died. My husband left the scene of the crime and came back to me. ‘The amulet didn’t work’, he said. I believed him, and I wanted to throw it away, so angry that it had failed, but he was overcome with guilt. He kept it. He _kept the damn thing,_ and my Martin put it on the next day.” Ms. Blackwood was crying now, gripping the edge of her chair.

“My husband l-left soon after that. I had to raise _that thing_ as my own, on my own. He knows nothing of it. I’m not going to tell him, because, despite all of the pain he has caused me, he’s still paying for this place.” She wipes her face, “I sent the amulet away. To a place that can properly research it and contain it. Maybe they’ll return my Martin to me.”

The static fades, and Jon just...stares at her. He wants to say something. He doesn’t at the same time.

Sasha grabs his shoulder, and pulls him back, “Thank you, Ms. Blackwood. Have a good day.”

“I won’t.” She says.

They walk out of the room, and Tim pushes his hair out of his face, “Okay...what was that?”

“Jon, what did you do?” Sasha asked, “You...you mind controlled her, or something!”

Jon shook his head, and began to walk down the hallway, “We have to get back. I need to talk to Bright.”

“Jon-”

Tim stops her, and Jon leaves them in the hallway. Somewhere, a tape clicks off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I played A Machine for Pigs earlier this year and ever since then, I’ve been randomly pulling up the end speech. It’s so good (Jessica Curry did such a good job with the music, I idolize her). That whole game is just The Flesh and The Extinction, though.  
> Anyway, tell me what you thought of the “twist” of Martin. I think it’s a bit sad but it’s probably really dumb now that I really /think/ about it.


	4. You Are Muscle, Flesh, and Bone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Martin returns home, body wise. Clef Knows things, and brings up a few theories. Internally, of course.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for...parental abuse, sort of.  
> Title of the chapter is from Nothing Worth Loving Isn’t Askew by Lemon Demon

It occurs to Clef while he’s walking through the airport that Martin Blackwood is very good at lying. He lies to security easily enough, but he ended up lying to an old woman while they were waiting for their bags, almost flawlessly.

 _“Are you vacationing here, young lady?”_ The woman asked.

 _“Yes.”_ Martin said, _“I’m with my uncles, and we’re going to visit some family.”_

Of course, Clef _Heard_ everything they said. He wanted to keep a close eye on Martin until they got to the Institute. It surprised him to see how easily he could lie.

“As I said,” Kondraki butted in, “Could be of the Web.”

“He isn’t marked.” Clef tells him, “Not by the Web. He reeks of the Lonely, though. The Lonely and the Eye.”

Kondraki cringed, “The worst kind of mixture. And I suppose you’ll want to fix it, then? Try and somehow free him of the Lonely, at least?” Kondraki raised an eyebrow and smirked.

Clef rolled his eyes, “I don’t see why you’ve got such a stick up your ass about it, Konny. Can it not be as simple as wanting to help him?”

“There’s always a motivation, Clef. Personally, I think you’ve just gone soft for the kid. You were never one to make friends with Draven, now that I think of it.”

“Well, Martin _isn’t_ Draven, is he? I don’t have to be forced to bond with him just because I am dating his dad!”

As soon as he said it, he wanted to take it back. Of course Clef would drag up old problems for the sake of an argument. Very typical of old him, and one of the reasons why they had broken up. One of many.

Kondraki let out a low sigh, “Well, if that’s how you feel about it.” He turned away from him.

Right. Clef wasn’t going to mess everything up again. Not like last time.

“I’m sorry.” He says, “I don’t mean that.”

Kondraki looks back at him, “We’ll talk about this later, Clef. Martin has our bags.”

He was right. Martin came marching up to them, holding two suitcases. He dropped them at their feet and smiled up at him.

“Here you go!” He said, “Now, we should probably get on with it. It’s in the middle of the day. I think they should be at the Institute by now, right?”

Clef Saw them, and nodded, “They’re waiting for us.”

Waiting wasn’t entirely true, though. Jon was repeating Ms. Blackwood’s statement in his office, and Bright was being watched by Tim and Sasha, who trusted him even less now.

After all, how could Mr. Blackwood have gotten the amulet? Bright was, as far as they knew, the _only_ person who was like Martin.

And they didn’t trust him. To be fair, neither did Clef.

The cab ride to the Institute was slow. Martin wanted to get back to his body as soon as possible, and his anticipation spread to Clef.

When the cab stopped in front of the Institute, Martin jumped out. Clef turned to Kondraki, ready to ask if he could go, but Kondraki beat him to it.

“Go. I’ll be there in a bit. _Do not_ kill Bright, please.”

“I would never.” He absolutely would. But not while he was in Martin’s body.

And so, Clef followed Martin. For a fifteen year old girl who had been bedridden for the better part of two weeks, he was very fast.

The receptionist at the front desk, Rosie, barely had time to stop them. They raced past her, and went down to the Archives.

Martin burst into the room, and the three archival assistants turned to him.

“Martin?” Sasha asked, at the same time when Tim asked, “A kid?”

Clef looked at Martin, then at Bright, “What happened to him?”

“Tim.” Sasha said, “Bright, take the damn amulet off, now!”

Bright sighed, and took it off. Sasha quickly caught Martin’s body before it fell to the ground.

“Alright then.” Clef said, turning to Martin, “Are you ready for me to take _that_ off?”

Martin looked rather uncertain, afraid, but he nodded. Clef would have to have a talk with him about being afraid of the amulet. After all, working through trauma was one of the best ways to get rid of The Lonely.

Clef quickly took the amulet off, and tossed it to Sasha.

The body trade was more comical than serious to Clef. It was a catch and toss game, and when it was over, Martin was back in his body.

Well, not _his_ body, but the one he grew up in.

“I’m back!” Martin said, and Clef felt a very funny and full feeling in his chest as Martin beamed at him.

“Huh.” Clef says, “Well, this certainly has been a journey.”

“With no interuptions.” Kondraki says, as he walks in, “Which is suspicious. They probably know about his disappearance, and yet we have heard nothing from the Foundation.”

“Maybe you just got off the hook.” Tim suggests, looking more tired that Clef has recalled.

Kondraki glares at Tim, “If you think that, then you do not know the Foundation. Or you’re just stupid.”

Sasha’s fists clenched, “Hey!”

Clef stood in the middle of them, “Alright, calm down people. No need to start a fight.”

“No need?” Sasha asked, her voice lowering, “He just insulted my boyfriend.”

“That’s new.” Martin points out.

“We’re all a bit stressed out right now, but let’s focus on the positives! Martin is back!”

Sasha looks over at Martin, and her face softens, “Fine. But I don’t trust either of you. This...this Foundation or whatever...you all come from it, and I don’t like it.”

“I am retired.” Kondraki points out, raising his hand. Clef pulls it down.

Jon comes out of his office, and looks at the scene before him, before staring up at Martin.

“Martin?” He asks, hopeful.

Clef does not like Jonathan Sims. He Knows much about him, has gathered as much information as he could after Martin made the first call.

“Yeah.” Martin says, softer than Clef has heard previously, “Yeah, it’s me.”

Clef Knows that if they weren’t here, that if no one else were watching them, Jon would hug him. And he didn’t like that.

 _Why the sudden change,_ Clef thinks. Jon had, three months ago, been terrible. This change was suspicious, and...maybe Kondraki was right about the Web being involved.

“Good! I’m...I’m glad. That means…” He turns to Clef and Kondraki, “I should thank you, then. You’ve saved Martin and relieved us of Bright.”

Kondraki takes the amulet from Sasha, much to her silent dismay, and puts it on the girl.

Bright wakes up, and glares up at Kondraki, “Ugh.”

“Yeah, hello to you, shithead.” Kondraki says, “Get up.” Tim laughs somewhere in the background.

Bright stands up, and rolls his eyes, “That’s it then. We go back to America, and leave you four to your lonesome.”

Jon shakes his head, “No, we need you three. I need...more information on the Foundation.”

Clef knows that is not a good idea, especially for The Archivist. But if it meant staying longer then...he didn’t object.

“Why?” Martin asks, “Did you guys find something?”

All three of them look away from Martin, and he notices immediately.

“What?” Martin asks, “Is it that bad?”

“No, Martin.” Jon says, “It doesn’t change how we think of you, at all.”

But it did. Tim was currently pushing himself away from Martin, because now he thought of his brother whenever he thought of Martin. 

Sasha couldn’t help but feel sad when she looked at the amulet, remembering the child that Ms. Blackwood spoke of. The real Martin Blackwood. And so her perfect image of Martin was altered.

And Jon...Jon felt understanding, mostly. Clef wanted him to feel something different, maybe a sense of distrust, but no. Jon was closer to trusting him completely. Another sign that the Web was involved. Clef really didn’t like him.

“Right.” Sasha agrees.

Martin stares at them, before his face pales, “You spoke to my mother, didn’t you?”

They look guilty. They look caught. They are so sure that Martin knows what happened. And both Tim and Sasha feel anger well up in their stomachs. _‘Why didn’t he tell us?’_

“I’m so sorry.” Martin says, “She can be a bit...much. But it isn’t her fault! She’s just really sick and tired, and-”

Jon stops him with a cough, “No offense, Martin, but you must stop making excuses for that woman.”

Kondraki leans over to Clef, “You’ve got the whole story, here. Care to fill me in?”

“Later.” Clef whispers.

Martin stares at Jon, “You…” He looks down at the amulet, and sighs, “Yeah, okay.”

_Oh my god, I am so bored!_

“Alright, if that’s over, then I’m going to use Kondraki’s life savings and get a hotel room.” Clef grabs the back of Kondraki’s jacket and leads him out, before turning back to Martin, “You’re welcome to come with. I Know you don’t have a place, anymore. And Kondraki is rich.”

“I am not.” Kondraki argues.

Clef shrugs, “Well, whatever.”

Martin looks at everyone, at Tim, at Sasha, at Jon, and at Bright, who was watching him. No; studying him.

“Alright.” Martin said, grabbing his jacket, “I’ll, uh...I’ll be back.”

Jon nods, “Okay. I’ll be waiting.”

He flushes, before he joins Clef.

 _Either the Web,_ Clef thinks, _Or romantic attraction. Or both._ Clef shrugs it off, and walks out of the Archives with, quite possibly, his two favorite people. It would be a while before he admitted that though.

Somewhere, up on the top floors of the Institute, Elias watches all of this and smiles. Things may have not gone the way he wanted to, but he could work with this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t like this chapter. But eh. Whatever. Also I might make a Spotify playlist of all the songs I’m using just because.

**Author's Note:**

> It’s a series now.


End file.
